Summer Cruise in Company Address by the Salcombe RNLI Cox’n 2023 AGM minutes

Kingsbridge Estuary Boat Club Motorboat Rally to Dartmouth – Friday 23rd June 2023

We will aim to leave Kingsbridge pontoon at 9am and meet up with any Salcombe based boats on the Normandy pontoon at 9.45am before travelling onward in a flotilla to Dartmouth.

All boats participating in the rally should be able to maintain a cruising speed of 12 knots.

We will leave Dartmouth at 4.30pm which will give us plenty of opportunity for a joint lunch in Dartmouth and the chance for boats to go off and explore the Dartmouth estuary.

We will aim to be back on the Kingsbridge pontoon for approximately 7.30pm.

Further details will be provided nearer the time and the rally is of course subject to there being suitable weather conditions.

All those interested should email Ian Slade, providing boat name, make and colour and outboard or inboard size together with the names of those they expect to be participating with them and a contact phone number.
Ian Slade 07789 727253
sladeian@icloud.com

A reminder that on Wednesday March 15th, Chris Winzar, Salcombe Lifeboat Cox’n will give a talk on his work.  Be in the Regal Pub, 7pm for 7.30 in the ground floor meeting room.

Minutes of the 17th Annual General Meeting of the Kingsbridge Estuary Boat Club held at The Regal Club at 1930 on February 18th 2023.

Present Tony Watson, Chair; Piers Rogers, Treasurer; Andy Thomson, Secretary; Steve Arblaster, committee member; Linda Lee, committee member; Rosemary Speed, committee member; Ben Harris, committee member; Rob Everton, committee member and 19 members.

1 Apologies: Nigel Green, Vice Chair; Penny Masters, Membership; Juliette Bird plus twelve other members.

2 Minutes of last AGM The minutes of the AGM held on February 6th 2022 had been circulated in advance to all members. No queries or comments had been received. Acceptance was proposed by Rosemary Speed and seconded by Theresa Thomson. They were approved unanimously.

3 Chairman’s annual report 1st February 2023

2022, although a year when Covid became less of a threat, was still a year affected by the virus. It seemed impossible to predict attendances at Club events but overall we appear to have been successful in keeping things alive with interesting talks from  such diverse people as Katie McCabe, aged 14, who sailed round Britain alone, and Scratch Hitchen, in his 70s, whose seafaring exploits left us all amazed and amused. Christmas was again celebrated at the Cottage Hotel, over 40 people attended, most stayed the night and comments from members were very favourable.

2022 was the first year that KEBC took a stand at the Kingsbridge Show. BenHarris, with advice from committee members, updated the display boards, we acquired a banner and our space was very eye catching. We were kept busy all morning and into the afternoon until rain interrupted play around 3pm. Members, mostly from the committee, manned the stand in two hour shifts, answering questions and persuading visitors to become members. Ben Harris will be organising next years’ presence at the show, let him know if you would like to help, contact details are on the web site.

Over 100 school children were taken afloat by KEBC, South Pool Boat Club and Singing Paddles. Linda Lee, the principal organiser, is to be thanked for introducing youngsters to the joys of boating; the children, and some parents, thoroughly enjoyed themselves.

Your hard working Treasurer, Piers Rogers, has been kept busy with all these events, he is now updating the membership list as members pay their 2023 subs. It makes his life a lot easier if payments are made before the end of December, so please set up standing orders or use BACS to make prompt payment. Financially the Club is still in good shape as is shown in the report below.

Our relationship with Salcombe Harbour Authority is still good. Your Vice Chairman, Nigel Green, has attended Board meetings and continues to maintain communications between us. SHA is about to produce a new 5 year plan and we will be consulted, I will keep members informed on progress.

None of the above could have been done without the continued efforts of all your committee members. They contribute a lot of their spare time to the successful running of your Club and I thank all of them for their hard work.

We have made good use of the Regal Pub facilities, the management has been helpful and welcoming and we have no plans to move from our new home.

I look forward to another good year in 2023, thanks to all our members for making our efforts worthwhile.

Tony Watson

This report had been circulated with the AGM notices, there were no comments or suggestions.

4.Treasurer’s Report.

This report had been circulated to all members with the AGM notice papers and no questions had been received. Approval of the audited accounts was proposed by Richard Smith, seconded by Ben Harris and approved unanimously.
5 Disposal of Charitable Funds raised in 2022

At the beginning of the year the Charity Account stood at £771.84 and during the year we added £1226.00 from the Raffles at our meetings and we also made a small profit from the advertising in the Tide Tables which we added to the fund.At the end of 2022 we have £735.84, a good sum to start the new year.

In 2022 we made several donations :-
The Ukraine Appeal                £100.00

British Divers                          £  62.00 (a Charity nominated by a speaker)

Chernobyl Childrens Lifeline  £ 500.00 (2021 and 2022)

Kids on the Water                   £ 600.00

TOTAL                                     £1262.0

We donated twice to the Chernobyl Children’s Lifeline because we had not sent a donation during 2001 because of Covid.

The proceeds of our raffles this year have largely gone into our own charity fund except for one to the British Divers who look after our coastline in the South Hams. This has allowed us to sponsor the Year 6 children from our local Primary Schools for a morning of canoeing with Singing Paddles in collaboration with South Pool Sailing Club for 8 sessions. This year 150 children (up to 20 in a session) enjoyed an

informative and energetic morning out on the Estuary at Bowcombe and we were very lucky that the weather and sea conditions were very favourable.

This year the Committee would like to propose that we will be supporting the Chernobyl children again although it is most unlikely that they will be able to visit this year but there is still a great need for support in various projects at home.

We would also propose that the members will be happy for us to continue sponsorship of the canoeing which we feel is a positive initiative in our local community.

The Boat Club is not primarily Charity Fund Raiser but it is good to support local good causes where we are able. The Committee are very grateful for the generous support that you the members give to our raffles during the year – it is amazing how much money we raise for our charities. Thank you.

Please may I ask for a Proposer to support our charities this year.

Both proposals were proposed by Rosemary Speed, seconded by Alison Rennie and approved unanimously.
6 Appointment of Auditor for 2023

Richard Smith proposed and Piers Rogers seconded the proposal that Mr. T A Phillips, the current auditor, be approved as auditor for 2023. This was carried unanimously.
7 Election of officers and committee

Admiral Sir Jonathan Tod RN Retd. took the Chair for this item. Sir Jonathan began by thanking from the floor the present Officers and Committee for all their work. Much of it is ‘behind the scenes’ and he instanced the new (and much admired) publicity boards as just one example. This all helps keep the club active and successful despite the after effects of Covid.

He proposed a vote of thanks to the committee which was proposed by him, seconded by Peter Rendell and unanimously supported. He then proceeded to put forward the names of Officers and committee members putting themselves forward for election as follows: Chairman:- Tony Watson. This was proposed by Peter Rendell, seconded by David Neate and unanimously passed.  Other officers:- Vice Chair Nigel Green; Secretary Andy Thomson; Treasurer Piers Rogers. Committee members:- Penny Masters; Linda Lee; Rosemary Speed; Steve Arblaster ; Ben Harris; Rob Everton and Juliette Bird.

All were proposed by Richard Smith, seconded by Bill Beare and approved unanimously.

This completed the formal Annual General Meeting business and the meeting was closed at 1948.
There then followed an interesting and wide ranging talk by Phil Goodhead from Salcombe Harbour Authority. The meeting was finally closed at 20:35.

AOB items raised at the meeting and though to be worth including in these minutes:

1. Marine Jumble – not a KEBC event but might be of interest to members April 29th

2. A possible motor boat rally to Dartmouth – suggested date June 23rd

3. A possible sailing rally from Kingsbridge to Hope Cove – suggested date July 6 th